Seeking Community in Southern Maine or Seacoast NH (Portland, Brunswick: sales, real estate)

[MidwifeMama]

Hi all,

We are preparing to move to the southern Maine/ seacoast NH area. I could really use some advice on choosing a town! My husband is working in Stratham, NH. He works 3 days in the office and 2 days from home. So, we are willing to live within an hour or an hour and a half radius of Stratham. I am home with our three children whom I homeschool. I'd like to find a small town with a community-vibe, more rural, but with its own stuff going on. (I also work part-time as a homebirth midwife but I can do that anywhere.)

We used to live just outside Belfast, ME which I miss terribly. It is just such a wonderful small community- vibrant and connected. There are a lot of "small town" activities there; like contra-dancing, a community dance studio, community theater, small YMCA, a wonderful little co-op with a busy- yet homey- cafe, local bookstore, local toy store, The Green Store, etc, all in a quintissential tiny New England town of about 6,000 people. I'd love to find a place just like that closer to Portsmouth.

What I DON'T want: I don't want to live in suburbia. I'm not focused on the schools since we homeschool. I don't want a big mortgage. I don't want lots of traffic.

What I DO want: A strong, down-home community vibe with some other homeschooley, back-to-the-landy types. Affordability is a huge priority. I know that means different things to different people. For us, it means you can get a small house on a couple acres for $100k-$150k or a MH on a few acres for $50k-$80k. I don't mind a small house (in fact, I prefer it) but I do want a small acreage for gardens, orchard, chickens, romping-in-the-woods for the kids, and privacy. It needs to be close enough to Portsmouth for hubby to commute 3 days per week but far enough away to get some distance from the higher housing prices, denser populations, suburban set up, and all that comes with that. And we do need access to high speed internet so hubby can work from home- a bit of a dichotomy, I know. I care about having a good grocery store and, ideally, a great health food co-op, but I could care less about other "typical" shopping opportunities. I far prefer to shop in small, local downtown shops owned by my neighbors to shopping at big box stores.

We've been attracted to the rural feel and affordability of Lebanon, thinking that our "social hub" could be Sanford. But we've heard some mixed reviews of Sanford and are now unsure of whether it would be a good fit. Your thoughts?

Thank you, thank you, in advance for sharing your place-wisdom with me. I'd especially appreciate hearing from people who've actually lived in the towns they recommend. Thank you!

(cross-posting in NH forum also)

[bangorme]

The words coastal and acreage are a very expensive combination (depending on your definition of "coastal"). To be honest, I'd pick NH... lower taxes.

There is nothing anywhere near the ocean in southern Maine (and I doubt in NH) where you could buy an acre of land (without the house) in the price range you are discussing. For example, in Cape Elizabeth people buy houses near the ocean (but not ocean front), then rip them down and build McMansions on tiny plots of land.

Now, if you are willing to go inland 20 miles (e.g. Sanford), you might have more options. But if you are looking for the lifestyle you found in Belfast, you'll be hard pressed to duplicate it. Belfast is a very liberal town dominated by people seeking to appear part of the counterculture. Lot's of beards there. I love visiting Belfast, but it's not my style.

[Zymer]

To be honest, I'd pick NH... lower taxes

NH real estate taxes can be a killer though.

Belfast is a very liberal town dominated by people seeking to appear part of the counterculture. Lot's of beards there.

What's a beard got to do with it? I've got one, and I'm just about as far from 'liberal' as you can get.

[bangorme]

Originally Posted by Zymer

NH real estate taxes can be a killer though.



What's a beard got to do with it? I've got one, and I'm just about as far from 'liberal' as you can get.

It's a long running joke that Belfast has the highest percentage of bearded men of any town in Maine. It's a correlation, not cause/effect.

[MidwifeMama]

I'm not looking for coastal. Personally, I prefer hills and mountains to the ocean anyway. I'm perfectly happy being 20+ miles from the ocean- and the crowds of people that flock to the ocean.

The attributes that you described in Belfast are exactly why I like it there! I don't remember there being a noticeable trend in beards, though. We really are hoping to find a similar feel down closer to DH's job. Is it possible? Does it exist down there?

We've thought about the taxes issue. Obviously having no income tax is appealing. But the property taxes in NH are higher. The state is going to get their taxes one way or another. We'll have to calculate the weight of each. My midwifery practice would also be far more restricted and over-regulated in NH than it would be in ME. (So much for "Live Free or Die.) But if I'm living on the border, I'll probably be practicing in both states anyway.

So, any specific town recommendations, anyone?

[Northern Maine Land Man]

"The attributes that you described in Belfast are exactly why I like it there!"

There is your answer. You need to be in Maine. Maine went 58% for Obama in 2008. If Sarah Palin had not gotten into the race, Obama would have gotten 70%. Despite the fact that the Obama administration does not even know how to develop a budget and we have not had one for three years, Maine is likely to go for Obama all over again.

The boundary between New Hampshire has been described as the "Maple Curtain". Like the Iron Curtain in Europe, it defines the line between two very different economic and social systems. You see, New Hampshire has no income tax, no sales tax, better roads, better schools and better health care.

[zoe456]

A quick thought: have you considered north of Portland, which depending on community and access to high speed Internet, may fit your criteria?

Some communities that you might want to investigate that may be within your commuting radius (although you'll have to evaluate high speed Internet providers: Comcast, Time Warner, etc. separately since they have contracts with each town): Durham, North Yarmouth, Freeport, Pownal, Lisbon, Yarmouth, New Gloucester, Brunswick, Gray.

[MidwifeMama]

Thanks for the thought zoe456. We haven't thought about looking north of Portland. I will definitely check out those towns that you recommended though. Thank you!

[Martha Anne]

Originally Posted by MidwifeMama

I'm not looking for coastal. Personally, I prefer hills and mountains to the ocean anyway. I'm perfectly happy being 20+ miles from the ocean- and the crowds of people that flock to the ocean.

The attributes that you described in Belfast are exactly why I like it there! I don't remember there being a noticeable trend in beards, though. We really are hoping to find a similar feel down closer to DH's job. Is it possible? Does it exist down there?

We've thought about the taxes issue. Obviously having no income tax is appealing. But the property taxes in NH are higher. The state is going to get their taxes one way or another. We'll have to calculate the weight of each. My midwifery practice would also be far more restricted and over-regulated in NH than it would be in ME. (So much for "Live Free or Die.) But if I'm living on the border, I'll probably be practicing in both states anyway.

So, any specific town recommendations, anyone?

This comes late in response to your posts, but I do want to say that I support you and admire you in your attitude.